Into the Darkness
by kendra151
Summary: Be careful what you ask for. You might get more than you bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

**This story has been posted here before, although it's been several years ago. I'm reposting just so I can consolidate all of my stories under one account. Hopefully there are at least a few people here who haven't read it before. :-)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kane or anyone else from the WWE, sad to say.**

**Chapter 1**

Lindsey stood outside of the old brick building, gazing up at the large, decrepit structure as she pulled a small slip of paper from her pocket to check the address.

Yep. This was definitely the place.

She shuddered as she looked back up at the darkened building. It reminded her of something out of a B-rated horror movie. She was almost positive that there would be some deranged lunatic with a knife poised inside the front door, ready to strike at the first unfortunate soul that was brave enough to venture inside. This whole place was creepy as hell, not to mention the fact that it was located in the worst section of town. The fact that it was well after midnight and she was out here all alone did nothing to ease her nerves. She couldn't help but wonder if she had made a huge mistake by coming here.

Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she quickly shrugged off the feeling of dread that surrounded her. She was here on a mission. This was something that she had to do. And she wasn't going to leave until it was done.

Lindsey shoved the paper back into her pocket and gathered the courage to walk up the front steps and into the building. The heavy metal doors creaked with age as she opened them, then closed them behind her. Stepping into the foyer, she looked around her, examining the remnants of what had once been a glorious structure. The years had obviously not been kind to the building as it was now in a horrible state of disrepair. Many of the windows were broken or boarded up and the once white-washed walls had turned a sickening shade of yellow and the paint was now peeling off of the plaster in huge chunks. Looking above her, she noticed the broken shells of what had once been the source of light for the small room. Taking their place were a couple of cheap wall fixtures that projected such a dim light that it left most of the room hidden in the shadows. But even with the lack of decent lighting, Lindsey could still make out the layer of trash that covered the once-sparkling floor and she was suddenly grateful for the darkness. At least she didn't have to see what she was standing on.

Looking around once more, she spotted the list of tenants that was positioned on the far wall, their names located beside each apartment number. Walking closer, she quickly gazed down the list, and her heart immediately dropped when she didn't see the name she was looking for.

_Maybe he's listed under a different name_, she thought to herself as she ran through the list again.

Still not recognizing any of the names, Lindsey stepped back and looked around her again as she tried to decide what to do. It was too late at night to be going around randomly knocking on doors. The last thing she needed was to be mauled to death by a mob of angry tenants. But she had come here for a specific purpose and she wasn't going to leave without making an honest effort to achieve it.

As she stood there, debating on what she should do, she was startled by an old man who drunkenly stumbled in through the front doors from the street. Lindsey watched him fearfully, taking in his appearance as she tried to hide herself in the shadows. He was obviously very drunk and his clothes were tattered and dirty. His thinning hair and matching beard were both a dull lifeless grey and his drawn face reflected the numerous hardships that he had been forced to endure during his lifetime. To Lindsey, he could have been any one of the vagrants that she had passed out on the street on her way there. In fact, she was almost sure he was homeless, until she saw him stagger toward the stairs that led up to the apartments above.

She took another step back into the shadows as he came closer, but this time her movements alerted him to her presence. Turning toward her, he eyed her suspiciously as he stumbled in her direction and Lindsey wished she had a hole big enough to crawl into so she could hide. She suddenly felt very foolish for being out so late at night by herself. The thought of being here alone with this man was enough to make her sick.

"I don't 'member ever seein' you 'round here before." he said gruffly as he stumbled towards her. "What 'er ya doin' here?"

"You one of them old street whores tryin' to find ya a man or somethin'?" he asked, as he squinted his eyes and looked her over. "How 'bout keepin' this ol man company for a night? What'd ya say sweetheart?"

Lindsey stepped from the shadows and emphatically shook her head. Since he already knew she was there, there was no point in trying to hide from him anymore.

"No sir. I'm afraid you're mistaken. I'm not that kind of woman." she stated nervously, not wanting to upset him.

"I'm actually looking for someone. He supposedly lives in this building but I searched through all the names and I didn't see him listed. Maybe you could help me?" Lindsey added, as she still tried to keep her distance from the drunk.

"Lookin' for somebody, huh? God damn it! I shoulda known you was already taken! Who's the lucky bastard? What's his name?"

"His first name is Kane. I think his last name is Bearer…but I'm not sure if that's the name he always uses." Lindsey said hopefully, her hopes dashed when the man's face showed no sign of recognition.

"Never heard of 'em." he mumbled, as he staggered past her toward the stairs again.

"Are you sure?" Lindsey asked, turning towards him again. "He would be real easy to recognize. He's a big guy. Almost seven feet tall. He has long, curly hair and he usually wears a…uh..… a mask."

The drunk stopped in his path and slowly turned to look at her, before he stumbled back in her direction.

"You're here to see him!" he asked in disbelief, suddenly sobering up as a terrified look crossed his face. "What kind of business could you possibly have with him? That man's nothin' but pure evil! He's crazy! You'd better stay away from him if you got any sense at all about ya! If you're dumb enough to start messin' around with him, somebody might just find you layin' dead in the gutter come mornin'."

"You know him then? Can you tell me where I can find him?" Lindsey asked hopefully, undeterred by the man's warning. She was already familiar with Kane's menacing personality.

"Woman, are you insane! Didn't you hear a word I just said? That man is crazy! If ya know what's good for ya, you'll just turn yourself around and head on back home before somethin' bad happens to ya!"

"Please. It's really important that I see him. Please tell me where I can find him!" Lindsey begged.

The man studied her for a moment, as if debating on whether or not he should give up the information she was asking for. Finally, he slumped his shoulders in defeat and pointed to a darkened doorway in the corner of the room.

"He lives downstairs. In the basement." he whispered, as if he were afraid that somebody else might overhear him. "I can see you've got no intentions of leavin' here without goin' to see him. I can't stop ya from goin' but don't say I didn't warn ya."

With that said, the man continued on toward the stairs and Lindsey watched him until he disappeared out of sight, then she turned her gaze back to the door in the corner. She slowly approached the doorway and gazed down into the darkened stairwell that led to Kane's lair. Lindsey thought again of the drunken man's warning. She knew how ill-tempered and violent Kane could be. But surely he wouldn't harm her. She was too small to pose a serious threat to him. And she wasn't a complete stranger to him, although she wasn't a close friend either. Lindsey wondered for a moment if maybe she should just abandon the whole idea. She could always find him later, when he returned to work.

"No. This is something that I have to do." she thought to herself, as she gathered her courage once more.

Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward and slowly began her descent into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

There was only one bulb burning faintly at the bottom of the stairs, barely providing enough light for Lindsey to see as she cautiously made her decent. The worn boards creaked and popped beneath her feet and she held tightly to the handrail, fearful that if she took one more step, the whole thing would fall apart beneath her. As flimsy as the structure felt to her, she could only wonder how it managed to withstand Kane's massive weight.

Once she reached the bottom of the stairs, Lindsey stopped to look around her. She found herself staring down a long, darkened hallway that was as sparsely lit as the stairwell had been. This time, there were two light bulbs hanging from above to light the way, one directly above her and the other at the opposite end of the hall. She could make out the shadow of a door behind the second light and she assumed that this was the door that led to Kane's room.

Lindsey wrapped her arms around her, pulling her leather coat tighter in an attempt to block out the cold and the dampness that surrounded her. She breathed in the stale, musty air from the basement, fighting the urge to gag as the strong odor attacked her senses.

_It smells like fear…and death_, she murmured to herself, immediately wondering where that thought had come from.

_Oh stop it! Get a hold of yourself!, _she told herself, as she hesitantly began to move forward. _You're still thinking about what that old man upstairs said to you_.

Hoping that the man's concerns for her safety were wrong, she continued on down the hall, moving slowly so as not to trip and fall. The cinderblock walls on either side of her were coated with a green, slimy substance, which she had discovered only by accident when she happened to brace her hand against one of them for support. Slinging the wetness from her fingers, she continued on through the hallway toward the lone door that was now more clearly visible at the other end.

She couldn't help but wonder why Kane chose to live in this miserable place. She knew he made plenty of money and he certainly didn't seem like the type to just squander it away on useless toys. He should have been able to afford a much better place to live. If he had wanted to. Lindsey was sure that the last part was the key to the whole mystery.

_If he had wanted to_.

Maybe he didn't want to be anywhere else. Maybe he liked the darkness and the misery and the MICE! Lindsey suddenly froze in place and fought back a scream when she felt something scamper across her foot. Mice! God how she hated them! Fighting the urge to turn and run, she took several deep breaths to calm her nerves before continuing on her way.

She thought again about what an angry and miserable man Kane was. Although she was relatively new to the company, she had heard plenty of stories about his unfortunate past through locker room gossip. She had been deeply upset to hear about his numerous misfortunes. The fire, the scars, the betrayals by his own family members and others. It was more than any one individual should ever have to endure. She felt for him. She wished there was something that someone could do to help ease his pain, although she knew that he would probably reject them if they ever tried. His past experiences had filled him with distrust and he refused to let any one get close enough to him to hurt him again, even his own tag team partner, Rob Van Dam.

Lindsey found it incredible that Kane could manage to work so well with another individual, although she was sure that Rob's laid back personality had something to do with their success. They had managed to win the tag team titles in a very short period of time, a feat that she found remarkable considering the lack of communication between the two men. She knew that they did not associate with each other at all outside the ring and she wasn't sure if they even discussed strategy together before their matches. Kane always kept to himself. He ate alone. He slept alone. He traveled alone. She had never seen him in the company of another person outside of the ring.

That's why she had found the incident that had occurred a few days earlier to be so strange. He had come to her. H had let her be near him, when he had pushed away all others. For one brief moment, he had let down his guard and let her inside. And without even thinking about her actions, she had managed to add her name to his list of rejections.

When Lindsey finally reached the end of the hall, she paused outside the door as she tried to collect her thoughts. She sighed softly when she recalled the events of the past few days, remembering why she was here in the first place.

As the newest diva to be hired by the WWE, she had been paired immediately with Rico and Three Minute Warning, of all people. According to her boss, Eric Bischoff, he hoped that she would be able to get them over more with the fans by adding what he called "a little T & A" to the mix. Although she thought that Rosey and Jamal already had enough T& A between the two of them to satisfy anybody, she had reluctantly agreed to work with them, not wanting to displease her boss on her first day of work. But she soon found out that both of the big men were very reckless in the ring, not only with their opponents but with her as well. They often expected her to interfere in their matches on their behalf and as a reward for her actions, on more than one occasion, she had found herself on the receiving end of a move that was intended for their opponents. Fortunately for her, the majority of her injuries had been minor, usually scrapes or bruises that would disappear within a few days time. However, all that had changed a few nights ago.

On the past week's RAW, her team had been assigned to wrestle Kane and RVD for the tag titles. Of course Lindsey had been present at ringside, along with the ultimate cross-dressing drama queen himself, Rico. Once again, they had instructed Lindsey to interfere in the match. This time, she was ordered to climb into the ring and distract Rob, while Rosey and Jamal double-teamed Kane. Lindsey had been very reluctant to go along with the plan, but she didn't want to risk her job by refusing to do what she had been told. She knew that since Three Minute Warning served as her boss's hit men, so to speak, that any problems she caused would be an immediate threat to her job security.

So the match had started and everything had gone as planned, until one of her brilliant teammates had decided to bring a steel chair into the ring while the referee was down. Jamal had aimed the chair for Kane's head, a move that surely would have won them the titles, if they hadn't managed to screw up again. Feeling cocky, Rico had climbed to the top rope and attempted a dropkick off of the top turnbuckle, which was meant for RVD. To Rico's credit, he managed to pull off the move perfectly, hitting an unsuspecting Rob squarely in the back. However, the impact had also knocked him forward, into Lindsey, which in turn knocked her into the path of the swinging chair. Her 120-lb. frame had taken the full force of a chair shot that had been intended for a 325-lb man and the contact had, of course, knocked her unconscious.

She didn't know how long she had been out for, but when she slowly awakened she at first became aware of the intense pain shooting through her body. Her head and back ached horribly and her first thought was that she had been in a car wreck. It felt as though she had been run over by a truck…or two. In the next instant, she also became aware of the presence of someone at her side and the coldness that was pressed against her forehead, which she assumed was a vain attempt to ease some of her pain. Slowly coming to her senses, she opened her eyes and tried to speak, wanting to know what had happened to her. But her voice faltered and her heart nearly stopped when she found herself looking up into Kane's masked face. She was absolutely paralyzed by the fear that overtook her. What was he doing here? Why was she with him? And what had he done to her?

At this point, Lindsey had no recollection of what had happened or how she had gotten there. All she knew was that she had to get away and fast, before Kane turned on her and did even more damage. She struggled to sit up, looking around her in a panic as she tried to figure out where she was. She realized that she had been laying on a couch in what she assumed was Kane's dressing room. Jumping to her feet, her head immediately began to swim and she stumbled, which forced Kane to grab her to keep her from falling. Feeling him grab at her frightened her even more, and she struggled against him as she tried to free herself from his grasp. She could hear him telling her that she needed to sit down, that he would go and find her some help if only she would relax. But all Lindsey wanted to do was get as far away from him as she possibly could before he hurt her any more.

Even though her head was spinning and she could barely see where she was going, she wrenched herself from his strong grip and rushed toward the door. Somehow she managed to get the door open and she stumbled out into the hallway, bumping into some unfortunate individual who just happened to be passing by. She clung to them desperately, pleading for them to help her, to save her from the monster that was Kane. That was the last thing she remembered before she passed out again. The next time she came to, she was lying in a hospital bed, alone, with no Kane around to threaten her safety.

It was only until after she had been released from the hospital and able to review the tape of the match that Lindsey learned what had really happened. After she had been knocked unconscious, her three teammates had left her lying in the middle of the ring, while they made a hasty retreat to the back. Both Kane and Rob had knelt over her to check on her condition and when several minutes had passed without her regaining consciousness, Kane had picked her up in his arms and carried her to the back, and she assumed straight to his dressing room. She still didn't know why he hadn't taken her directly to the EMT's or why Rob had left her alone with Kane in the first place, although knowing Kane she was sure he probably hadn't given Rob a chance to hang around. But what confused her the most was why Kane had bothered to help her at all, considering his past behavior. For some reason, he had taken pity on her. He had shown concern for her when he disregarded the well-being of all others.

Why?

That was the question that kept nagging at her. That was the question that kept her awake at night.

Why had he helped _her_?

Well, that's what she was here to find out. That plus the fact that she wanted to apologize to him for the way she had acted that night. Lindsey felt horribly guilty for the way she had treated him. She was sure that her rejection had hurt him deeply. She couldn't help but wonder if everyone else automatically treated him with the same kind of disdain and mistrust that she had. She understood now why he always seemed to be filled with so much anger and misery. She thought that if she were treated the way he had always been treated, then she would be angry too.

Lindsey's thoughts drifted back to the task at hand and she stared at the door as she tried to work up the courage to knock. She wondered if he was asleep yet. She certainly didn't want to wake him up. That would definitely put him in a bad mood. But she was leaving tomorrow and she didn't know how long it would be until she got a chance to see him again. This was something that she just had to do before she left and it had to be done in person if at all possible. He deserved to be face to face with her when she gave him her apology.

Raising her hand, she knocked on the old wooden door, then waited patiently for an answer. When there was none, she knocked again, much harder this time and she was surprised to see the door slowly ease open. At first she thought that Kane had opened it, but upon closer inspection she realized that her actions had caused the door to open on its own. Apparently he hadn't pulled it together completely on his way in or out of the apartment.

Hesitating for a moment, Lindsey slowly poked her head inside and looked around.

"Kane? Are you here?" she asked as she gazed around the room, surprised to find it empty.

"Hello? Kane?" she called out again, curious as to why he would leave his door unlocked if he wasn't home.

She opened the door further and stepped inside, cautiously walking to the middle of the room as she looked around her. She noticed that the room was almost devoid of all furniture, save for a large bed located against one wall, a dresser, and a small night table that was positioned beside the bed. The whole room was almost completely dark, except for a large candelabrum that had been placed on the night table. It contained three candles which Lindsey noticed had all been lit and she wondered again why Kane would go out and leave them burning.

Kane however, was not out. He was there with her, but he had concealed himself in the shadows to hide from his intruder. He watched her from his hiding place, both angry and curious as to why this young lady had chosen to invade his privacy. He had cursed himself when he heard the first knock, remembering that he had forgotten to lock the door on his way in. Not in the mood for company, he had hoped that whoever was there would go away and leave him alone. But when they had knocked a second time and he had heard the door creak open, he had quickly ducked into the safety of the shadows, hoping that his presence would go unnoticed. His only hope now was that his uninvited guest would leave quickly. Otherwise, he would be forced to take drastic measures.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad there are a few people who haven't read this before. And at least one who has :-)**

**I will be posting all of the final chapters tonight.**

**Chapter 3**

Kane continued to watch from the shadows as his intruder slowly paced around his room. He had no idea who this person was or why she was here, although something about her did seem vaguely familiar to him. But the light in the room was too poor for him to make out her face and at this point, he really didn't care anyway. All he wanted was for her to go away. To leave him to his pain and misery. To let him suffer alone.

"Kane? Are you here? It's me, Lindsey." she called again, as she continued to search for him.

At the sound of her name, Kane froze in the shadows.

Lindsey? What was she doing here? After the way she had acted toward him only nights before, he was sure that she would never be caught anywhere near him again.

Kane hung his head as he recalled the events of that fateful night, remembering the look of terror on her face when she awakened to find him leaning over her. He knew that he was a hideous monster. He had no reason to expect her to treat him any differently than everyone else did. But even so, her reaction had hurt him deeply. She had fled from his dressing room as if the devil himself had been chasing her. And the only thing he had been guilty of was trying to help her.

No, she had made it perfectly clear that night that she didn't want anything to do with him. But yet, here she was, in the middle of the night, standing in the center of his room. And surprisingly, she was alone. Kane wondered again what she was doing there. But despite his growing curiosity, he remained where he was, silently taking in her every movement as she continued to examine his room.

Lindsey walked back to the middle of the room, sighing in disappointment when she realized that Kane was not there. She had wanted so badly to talk with him. To ask for his forgiveness for the way she had treated him. She couldn't stand the thought of her actions causing him more pain.

Reaching into the pocket of her black leather coat, she pulled out the small purple envelope that she had placed there earlier. Even though Kane wasn't there, thankfully she had come prepared. She had taken the time to write him a letter, on the very real chance that he would refuse to speak with her. It wasn't the same as a face-to-face apology, but in this case, it would have to do.

She slowly examined the envelope, turning it over in her hands several times before stopping to trace the large block letters that were scrawled across the front. K..A..N..E. Then turning the envelope over once more, she checked the seal across the back, making sure that it was secure.

Walking toward the only light in the room, she made her way around the bed, stopping to gaze down at the large piece of furniture in amazement. Lindsey felt a smile tug at her lips when she pictured Kane stretched out on it asleep. She wondered how he had ever managed to find a bed big enough to accommodate his large size.

As she stood there beside his bed, something startled her from her thoughts. Raising her head, Lindsey looked around her nervously. A strange feeling settled over her and she began to feel very uncomfortable. She suddenly felt like she was not alone. Like there was someone else in the room with her, watching her. Her eyes traveled slowly around the room again, lingering on the shadows in the corners as she strained to see if someone else was there.

Kane froze when she looked in his direction. She looked straight at him for several moments. So long, in fact, that he was sure she had spotted him. Then he saw her turn her gaze back to whatever she was holding in her hand and he breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't been seen.

_There's nobody else here. It's just your imagination_, Lindsey told herself, as she turned back toward the bed. _This whole place is just really creeping you out and it's messing with your mind._

Looking back down at the letter, she moved closer to the bed and propped it up against the pillows, in a place where Kane would surely find it. Then she stepped back and looked around her again, examining his room once more.

From what she could see in the faint candlelight, his room had no color or decoration to it. There were no windows anywhere in the room, and there were no visible pictures or mirrors hanging on the walls. Gazing up at the ceiling, Lindsey was surprised to notice that there was also no overhead light. Turning her gaze back to the candles, she wondered if he even had electricity. Looking around her again, she realized that she hadn't seen a television, radio or any other electronic device that would indicate that he did.

As she stood there, taking in her surroundings, she was overwhelmed by a feeling of immense loneliness. She wondered how Kane could possibly deal with this type of solitary existence. Down here in this barren room, he was utterly alone, completely closed off from the normal, everyday occurrences that went on right above his head. Lindsey felt an incredible sadness for the man. She wondered if he would ever know what it felt like to fit into a normal world. To live a normal life. She suddenly had an intense longing to see him. To hold him. To protect him. She wanted to take him in her arms and tell him that everything would be alright. That she would always be there to take care of him, if he would let her. She felt a solitary tear slide down her cheek as she wondered if he had ever known what it felt like to be loved and accepted. If he had ever known what it was like to have a woman hold him and love him and to have that same woman accept his love in return.

As Lindsey lost herself in her thoughts, Kane continued to watch her impatiently from the shadows, his curiosity growing stronger with every passing minute. He had watched her place something on his bed, although in the poor light, he couldn't quite make out what it was. And now she was just standing there, looking off into space as if she were in no big hurry to leave. He emitted a low growl from deep in his chest, angry that this woman had dared to barge into his home and invade his privacy. After the way she had treated him, she had no business being there at all. He clenched his fists when he recalled the pain she had caused him, the familiar humiliation of her rejection. Maybe it was time for him to take some of that pain out on her, to show her just what kind of a monster he really was!

Despite his animalistic urges, he managed to control his anger and he remained in his hiding place, praying that she would leave before he was forced to hurt her. But after several more minutes passed without her making any attempt to leave, Kane had finally had enough.

Easing himself out of the shadows, he quietly stalked up behind her as he tugged impatiently on his gloved hand. He stopped when he was directly behind her, towering over her small frame as she continued to stare off into space. Looking down at the bed, he spotted the envelope that she had placed there for him. He studied it for a moment, curious as to what might be inside, before turning his attention back to the young woman who was standing in front of him.

Slowly coming back to reality, Lindsey raised her hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks, realizing that she needed to get out of Kane's room before he returned. She was sure that he would be upset if he came back and found her there. Looking down at the letter one last time, she prayed that he would take the time to open it and read the contents.

Sighing softly, she hung her head in disappointment as she turned to leave. But as she moved, she felt her arm brush against something solid and she looked up in confusion, knowing that there had been nothing there moments before. Her eyes grew wide and she screamed in fright when she saw an angry looking Kane hovering menacingly over her body.

Lindsey stared up at Kane as she staggered backwards, her hand instinctively clutching her chest as her heart pounded in fear.

"K...Kane." she stuttered, wondering how he had managed to sneak up on her so easily. Where had he come from? How could someone his size possibly be so quiet?

Kane stared down at her silently, his eyes locking with hers as he glared at her. Despite her fear, Lindsey found herself getting lost in his eyes as she stared up at him, realizing for the first time how incredibly beautiful they were. She gazed up into the light blue pools, seeing the pain and anger that were reflected there, suddenly remembering that she was the cause of some of that pain. Unnerved by the depth of the emotion she saw there, Lindsey broke the contact and dropped her gaze to the floor.

Kane felt another wave of anger course through him as he watched her turn her face away from him. Was she so horrified by his disfigurement that she couldn't stand to look at him, even while his face was hidden behind a mask? He clenched his fists in rage as he continued to glare down at her. He should have known that she was no different from everyone else, that she would never accept him for who he was and what he looked like. Why had he ever thought that her reaction to him would be any different?

_You are a fool!_, he thought to himself, remembering all of the other times when he had been tricked into believing that others had actually accepted him. X-Pac. Tori. Chyna. His brother. The list went on and on. An endless stream of lies and betrayals that all had one thing in common. ?They had all ended with his pain.

Kane glared down at Lindsey once more, remembering the pain that she herself had caused him only days ago. Was that why she was here now? To add to his misery. To taunt him with things that he could never have? Or was this simply another trick, perpetrated by one of his enemies, who would love nothing more than to see him hurt again? Kane felt another surge of anger flare through him at the thought. It would be a cold day in hell before he let someone hurt him like that again!

"What are you doing here?" he growled menacingly at Lindsey, the anger in his voice warning her that she was treading a thin line.

Surprised that he had actually spoken to her, Lindsey looked up at him again in shock, temporarily forgetting that he had asked her a question.

"Answer me!" he yelled impatiently when she didn't offer a response, his voice echoing off of the bare walls.

Lindsey cringed at the anger and hatred that were projected in his voice, suddenly wondering why she had ever been foolish enough to come to this place. Why had she ever thought that Kane would be willing to talk with her?

"I…I'm sorry. I just… I wanted to…." she stuttered, her voice faltering as she unconsciously pointed at the letter on the bed behind her.

Kane's eyes narrowed as he watched her, her response to him angering him even further. He hated the look of fear that she was sporting on her face. It was the same look she had shown that first night, when he had only been trying to help her. If she was so damned frightened of him then why the hell had she bothered to come to him at all? Why hadn't she simply avoided him like everyone else always did?

At that thought, Kane shook his head in confusion and he turned his attention back to the task at hand, determined to find the answers to his questions. Looking back down at Lindsey, he realized that he wasn't going to get a response out of her so he took a step closer to her, reaching past her to the letter that was lying on his bed.

Lindsey took another step backwards when he approached her, her eyes widening in fear when she suddenly found herself trapped between his massive frame and the large bed behind her. She found herself staring at his huge chest and powerful arms which were enclosed in a white long-sleeve t-shirt and despite the predicament she was in, she found herself suddenly fighting the urge to reach out and trace her fingers down the smooth muscles, visualizing the strength and power that was hidden underneath the thin cloth.

The sound of paper tearing pulled her from her carnal thoughts, and she craned her neck to look back up at him again, noticing that the look of anger in his eyes hadn't faded in the least. Swallowing hard, she quickly forgot all about her desire to apologize, suddenly wanting to put as much distance between them as she possibly could. The threat of danger suddenly seemed very real to her and she thought the best thing she could do was to leave there as fast as she could, before she had a chance to anger him even further. He definitely didn't seem like he was in the mood for company.

Seeing that he was distracted with her letter, she quickly made an attempt to squeeze past him so she could head for the door, her movement suddenly halted by one of his large hands as he brought it up and wrapped it around her throat. He tightened his grip painfully for a moment and Lindsey felt herself being lifted from the ground. She closed her eyes as she waited for the jarring pain that she knew would come when she connected with the floor, surprised when she felt herself being tossed backwards onto the bed.

"Stay!" he growled as he towered over her, and Lindsey stared up at him in fear, wondering how in the hell she was going to get out of this predicament in one piece.

Kane glared down at her for a moment, ensuring her that he meant business. He had no intentions of letting her go until he got to the bottom of things. Once he was satisfied that she was going to stay where he had placed her, he turned his attention back to the letter in his hand.

Lindsey sat up, looking up at him as he finished ripping the letter from the envelope and began to read it. She had enough sense about her to know not to try his patience any further so she remained where she was, suddenly feeling very self conscious when she realized that she was lying in the middle of his bed. She couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if he were to join her there. She closed her eyes as she tried to shake the thoughts that were suddenly running rampant through her mind. The man looked like he was mad enough to break her in half and all she could do was wonder what he looked like naked.

Pulling herself back together, she looked around his room once more, wondering again where he had come from. How had he managed to sneak up on her? Had he come in through the door and she'd been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't seen him or had he been there hiding from her all along? Gazing toward the door, she noticed that it appeared to be in the same position she had left it earlier and she realized that he'd probably been there in the room with her all along. She wondered why he had bothered to hide from her to begin with, instead of just answering the door and telling her to go away. Then Lindsey had an amusing thought. Maybe Kane was as frightened of her as she was of him, only in a different way of course. Lindsey couldn't help but smile at the thought. A man of Kane's size, frightened of her. It wasn't very likely.

Looking up at Kane again, she could see that he was still reading the paper that he held in his hands and she suddenly felt ridiculous for the position she was in. Again, she remembered why she was there. How important this task had been to her. She couldn't simply walk away without completing it. She would never forgive herself if she did. But how could she ever offer him a believable apology for being afraid of him if she was still acting like she was afraid of him? He would never believe that she was sincere, at least not with the way she was acting now.

He was standing right in front of her. She couldn't ask for a more perfect opportunity to speak with him. All she had to do was just tell him that she was sorry and then she could leave and she would be out of his way for good. No, if she was going to do it, now was the time. There was no use putting it off any longer. Staring up at him, Lindsey took a deep breath and gathered her courage to speak, hoping that she didn't say anything that would anger him any further. If she did, she wasn't sure that she would make it out of his room alive.

She studied Kane as she tried to figure out what to say to him. Gathering her thoughts, she finally worked up enough courage to speak.

"Kane. I'm sorry for bothering you. I honestly didn't mean any harm. It's just that I'm leaving tomorrow and I wanted to apologize for…" she said softly, before Kane interrupted her.

"Who sent you here?" he growled as he finished reading the letter and shook it at her, convinced that the whole thing was a hoax.

"What are you talking about?" Lindsey replied in confusion as she tried to figure out what he was asking her.

Looking down at her with more than a hint of annoyance, Kane stepped closer to the bed and bent over, placing his hands on the mattress on either side of her as he lowered his masked face to her level.

"Who….sent….you…here?" he repeated, pausing between words for emphasis.

"Nobody sent me. I came on my own." she replied softly, stiffening as he came closer. "I just wanted to tell you…"

"You're lying." Kane stated coldly, interrupting her once more.

"You'd never have the courage to show up here on your own. I know somebody had to put you up to this. And I want to know who it was!" he growled, as he leaned closer to her.

Lindsey locked eyes with him briefly, angered that he dared to call her a liar. Just who the hell did this man think he was? But seeing the fire in his eyes, she realized quickly that it probably would not be in her best interests to challenge him on the issue. Intimidated by his cold stare, she quickly dropped her gaze back to her lap.

"Nobody sent me. It was my idea to come here." she repeated meekly, glancing back at the letter he was still holding in his hand.

She sighed when she saw the thin piece of paper crumpled in his fist. She thought that she had spelled out everything perfectly for him there. So why did he have such a hard time believing it? Surely the thought of someone apologizing to him wasn't that unrealistic. Was it?

_Of course it was_, Lindsey thought, remembering how many times in the past that he had been tricked by those he thought he could trust. And she had hurt him just like they had. He had no reason to believe that she wasn't trying to hurt him again too. He had every reason in the world not to believe her.

Lindsey turned her gaze back to his face briefly, searching for any sign of compassion or sympathy. Anything that would indicate she might possibly be able to change his mind. She wondered how she could possibly convince him that she meant him no harm….

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by one of Kane's large hands, as he wrapped it around her throat again and began to squeeze. He roughly pulled her closer to him and Lindsey's eyes widened in fear as her hands automatically grasped his, trying to loosen the death grip that he had on her.

"I am starting to lose my patience with you. If you want to leave here under your own power then I suggest you start talking." he growled, shaking her occasionally to get his point across. "Now, I'm going to ask you one more time. Who sent you here?"

Lindsey opened her mouth as she tried to reply to him, a strangled gasp being the only sound she could force past her lips. He was cutting off her supply of air and she struggled to breathe, her efforts hampered by the panic that was quickly spreading throughout her body. Her gaze traveled across the room to the open door, regretting her decision to come here. Wishing there was some way she could leave. If only he'd let her go, she'd gladly promise never to bother him again.

Then just as suddenly as he had grabbed her, Kane released his hold on her, shoving her backwards on the bed once more. Lindsey instinctively brought her hand to her throat, rubbing it as she took several deep breaths to replenish her oxygen.

Once Kane released her, he pulled back from the bed quickly, knocking the letter to the floor in the process. He stood to his full height, as he crossed his arms and stared down at her, looking as if he were ready to rip her to shreds. Lindsey quickly glanced at the open door again, wondering if there was any way she could escape, all thoughts of getting him to trust her quickly forgotten. All she wanted at the moment was to be free of this miserable place. To be free from Kane's accusing glare.

Turning back toward Kane, she saw him bend over to pick up the letter that he had dropped and seeing that he was distracted, she decided to take the chance. With a swiftness that even surprised herself, she jumped from the bed and sprinted toward the door, praying that she was fast enough to escape Kane's wrath. Forgetting all about the mice and the darkness, she rushed through the long hallway toward the stairs, feeling a wave of relief hit her when they finally came into sight. Somehow she knew if she could just make it to the top of the stairs, she would be safe.

Her heart pounded fiercely in her chest as she strained to listen for any indication that Kane was following her. But even when she heard no sound, she didn't bother to slow down. She finally reached the foot of the stairs and in her haste to leave, she tried to jump over the two bottom steps completely. But her foot caught on the edge of the second step and she fell forward, catching herself with her arms. She tried to quickly regain her balance and somewhere in the process she vaguely remembered thinking how quiet everything was. Jumping back to her feet, she tried to scramble up the remaining stairs, breathing a sigh of relief when she realized that apparently Kane hadn't been too concerned about coming after her. But the thought only lasted a brief second before she felt a large arm come from behind her, wrapping itself around her small waist and lifting her from the stairs with ease.

Lindsey shrieked loudly as Kane tossed her effortlessly over his shoulder, fighting with every ounce of her strength to free herself from his grasp once more.

Ignoring her cries of fear, Kane turned and headed back to his room, carrying her back into the darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Kane. Please…I'm sorry. Please…just let me go. I promise I'll never bother you again." Lindsey pleaded, as Kane carried her back down the hallway toward his room.

When she received no response, she began to struggle even harder against him, flailing her legs as she tried her best to kick him. But her position severely restricted her movements and the only thing she got for her troubles was a sharp smack to her bottom, which caused her to yelp in pain.

Lindsey watched helplessly as the stairs disappeared from her sight as Kane carried her back toward his room. He stopped long enough to close and lock the door before heading back toward the bed. Grabbing her by the legs, he swung her backwards, dropping her none to gently onto the mattress. This time Lindsey flailed her hands out behind her to try and break her fall, crying out when she landed awkwardly and felt a sharp pain shoot through one of her wrists.

Clutching her injured arm, she struggled to sit up, watching in horror as Kane dropped his knees to the mattress and began to inch his way toward her. Lindsey scrambled to get away from him, propelling herself up the bed until she felt her back come in contact with the headboard. Looking wistfully toward the door once more, she realized that there was no way she could ever get it unlocked and opened before he caught her again. She was completely at his mercy, trapped there in his miserable, darkened room until he decided to let her go.

She quickly turned her attention back to the big man who was now hovering over her. He slowly straddled her lower body so that she was caught between the headboard and each of his huge legs. Then leaning forward, he placed both of his hands on the headboard above her head and lowered himself down to her level once more.

"Where did you think you were going? I wasn't finished with you yet." he ground out in a low voice.

Lindsey cringed beneath him as she clutched her injured wrist closer to her chest.

"Please Kane…" she whimpered, closing her eyes and turning away from him again. "I'm sorry. Please…just let me go."

"Not until you tell me what I want to know."

Kane paused for a moment as he stared down at the small woman who was trembling beneath him, an evil smirk crossing his face.

"You didn't really think you were going to get away with this so easily did you? You know what they say about playing with fire…." he added, letting his voice trail off.

"I want to know who put you up to this…what kind of game you're trying to play." he continued, his voice cold and distant. "I'm not above hurting you to get what I want. Don't make things any harder on you than they have to be."

Lindsey racked her brain frantically as she tried to think of something to tell him.

"I don't know what else to say." she whispered, still refusing to look at him.

"Nobody sent me here. I came on my own. Nobody else even knows that I'm here." she added, instantly regretting the fact that she'd let that last part slip.

She quickly glanced up at Kane to see if he had noticed, and to her horror she saw his mouth curve into a small grin.

"So nobody else knows you're here." he repeated with a slight chuckle, as he dropped one of his hands and captured a small strand of her hair, running it through his fingers. "I guess that means that nobody will know what happened to you if you don't show up tomorrow."

Lindsey flinched away from his touch, her stomach churning at his words. She wondered exactly what he had in store for her.

"Please…Kane. Please let me go." she pleaded again, already knowing that it wouldn't do any good.

"I don't think so." he replied, his voice dangerously low. "You haven't told me what I wanted to hear yet."

Despite her fear, Lindsey felt herself starting to get angry. She didn't know what kind of game he was trying to play with her, but she had just about had enough. So what if she had stumbled into his home uninvited. So what if she had accidentally hurt his feelings. So what if he had been hurt so many times that he wouldn't…couldn't…believe her. None of that gave him the right to hold her there against her will. He had no right to treat her that way.

"Tell me." he repeated, leaning closer into her in an attempt to intimidate her even more. "Tell me why you're here…or I…will…hurt you."

The threatening tone of his voice was the last straw, and despite the fact that he was towering over her, she sat straight up and met his gaze.

"I've been trying to tell you why I'm here, if you'd stop being so damn stubborn and listen to what I have to say, you big oaf!" Lindsey yelled, giving Kane a hard shove in the chest as she let her anger overrule her better judgment.

She cried out at the contact and clutched at her injured wrist again as another pain shot through it. Although she knew she couldn't budge him, her actions achieved the intended result when Kane pulled back in surprise.

"I came here to apologize to you for the way I acted that night when you tried to help me!" she continued, feeling the tears of frustration start to fall as she spoke. "I was actually concerned that I might have hurt your feelings that night! Yeah…like you actually have feelings. I can see now that I was right for leaving the way I did. God knows what you would have done to me then if I hadn't!"

Lindsey collapsed back against the headboard in exhaustion as she cried. She hated the fact that she had let him frighten her so easily. It was obvious that he was enjoying her display of fear and she hated giving him that kind of satisfaction. Then, realizing what had just happened, she silently berated herself. That was certainly not the smartest thing that she had ever done.

Although she wondered what he was thinking, she couldn't force herself to raise her head and meet his gaze. She could only imagine the depth of the anger she would find there after her little outburst. She sat there quietly, nursing her injured wrist as she waited for something to happen. She was sure that he wouldn't just let that little mistake slide by.

Out of the corner of her eye, Lindsey finally saw him remove one of his hands from the headboard and she closed her eyes and cringed, waiting for the pain that she was sure would soon come. But she flinched in surprise when, instead of pain, she felt one of his fingers trail gently down her cheek, tracing the path of her tears.

She managed to choke out a strangled sob as he touched her, waiting for his show of tenderness to turn to violence.

"I'm so sorry." she whispered softly between her ragged breaths, her anger gone, the fear returning in its place. She didn't have the strength to fight with him anymore. "I'm sorry for running away that night. I was just so scared. I didn't know that you were just trying to help me. I'm sorry Kane. I swear I didn't mean to hurt you."

Her eyes still tightly closed, Lindsey felt Kane remove his hand from her face and she waited patiently, knowing that he would tear into her at any moment. She nearly jumped out of her skin, when she felt his breath against her ear and her eyes widened in surprised when she heard him speak to her again.

"Why should I believe you?" he replied, this time in a surprisingly softer voice that sent chills straight down her spine.

"I..I don't know." Lindsey stuttered , when she had finally regained her composure. "I don't know what else I can say to make you believe me. Just that I'm sorry it ever happened."

Kane pulled away again and Lindsey forced herself to meet his gaze once more. She looked up at him helplessly, noticing that the look in his eyes had softened a little. She wondered if maybe she had finally gotten through to him.

The two of them continued their standoff, each of them measuring the other to see who would give in first. With each passing moment, Lindsey grew more hopeful that Kane would finally let her go. She could actually see the anger fading from his large frame but still, she refused to let herself relax, knowing that everything could change in the blink of an eye.

Maybe he had finally seen the error of his ways. Maybe this was just the calm before the storm. Either way, Lindsey knew she had to be prepared for whatever might happen next.

The two of them continued to stare at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Lindsey saw Kane lean in towards her again and she held her breath, waiting to see what he would do.

"Why did you run that night? I did nothing to you." he asked softly, the pain in his voice making her heart constrict.

"I'm so sorry Kane. I was just so scared. I didn't know where I was or what had happened to me. I was so surprised to see you. I thought that you…."

"You thought that I was the one who hurt you." Kane stated plainly, finishing her thought.

Lindsey dropped her gaze and silently nodded her head.

"I thought you were different from them." he added after a moment, which caused Lindsey to lift her head and look at him again.

"I am different from them Kane. I never meant to hurt you. If I had known that you were only trying to help me…I..I would have… stayed." she replied softly.

"Would you have stayed?" he asked, seemingly surprised by her last remark.

Lindsey nodded again, chewing on her bottom lip nervously as she waited to see what his reaction would be. He continued to stare down at her silently for several moments, before she finally saw him move again. She watched warily as he slowly raised his hand to her face and this time Lindsey forced herself to remain still, closing her eyes when she felt his fingers on her cheek.

Kane carefully gauged her reaction to him, amazed when she didn't pull away or try to stop him. Feeling bolder, he cupped her face in his hand as he continued to stroke her cheek with his thumb. Opening her eyes, Lindsey stared up into his light blue ones, confused by the mixture of emotions that she saw there. There was still anger…and hurt…and something else that she could only describe as…desire?

Her heart began to pound faster as she wondered about the thoughts that were running through his mind. The feel of his thumb brushing across her lips brought her back to the present moment and she glanced down at his hand momentarily before turning her gaze back to his face.

Reaching out cautiously, she brought her own hand to his face, running her fingers over the dark leather that kept him hidden from her view. She moved hesitantly, fearful that the wrong movement would somehow set him off again, surprised when he made no attempt to stop her.

Gently, she brushed his long hair back from his face so she could get a better look at him, her eyes traveling down the leather, coming to rest on his full, sensuous mouth. Kane watched her face closely as she examined him, searching for any sign of disgust or fear. Following his lead, Lindsey lightly brushed her fingers across his lips, and for one brief moment, Kane felt a surge of hope that maybe she wouldn't turn away again. Then he saw her brows draw together in a frown and his hope was gone, knowing that at any moment she would go running away from him again in fear.

"Kane? You said that you thought I was different from everyone else. Is that why you helped me that night?" Lindsey asked softly, breaking the silence as she gazed up into his eyes again, searching for the answer to the question that had plagued her for so long.

Kane was silent for several moments, and Lindsey started to get concerned that maybe she had made a mistake by bringing the subject up again. Then she saw Kane slowly nod his head in response and she felt herself relax once more.

"Everyone thinks that I am a monster. They all fear me. They all hate me. They think they know who I am" Kane ground out slowly when he finally spoke, the self-loathing evident in his voice.

"They don't know me. You… don't know me" he added, dropping his head and letting his hair fall into his face once more.

Lindsey gazed up at his hidden face, the shame stabbing deep into her heart.

"Maybe you were wrong about me Kane. Maybe I'm not so different from them after all." Lindsey replied, surprised that she was willing to admit so much to this giant of a man who was kneeling before her.

"I've heard the stories about you…about your past. I believed they were true. I'm just as guilty as they are…for thinking the same things about you."

Lindsey watched him carefully as she spoke, cringing a little when he raised his head and met her gaze, seeing the anger flare in his eyes again at her words.

"I believed all those horrible things about you Kane. That's why I ran that night. That's why I was so afraid to be alone with you." she continued nervously, hoping that the big man would keep his emotions in check this time. "I see now how wrong I was. I really don't know anything about you, except what I've seen tonight...which I have to admit wasn't very pleasant. But…I would like to know you Kane. I want to know what kind of person you really are."

Lindsey watched the different emotions play across Kane's face as she spoke, the anger in his gaze gone just as quickly as it had appeared. She could see the surprise, the wonder, the skepticism filling his eyes, his mouth drawn into a solemn frown as he contemplated her words.

"You will run away. They always leave." Kane finally stated, so matter-of-factly that Lindsey's heart nearly broke at the sound of his voice.

"No Kane. I promise. I won't run this time." she replied softly, reaching out to cover one of his large hands with her smaller one.

Surprised by her own actions, Lindsey carefully tested the skin underneath her hand, noticing how smooth and incredibly warm it was despite the cold air that was swirling about the room. Kane watched her fingers as she caressed his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, the jolt of electricity that shot through his arm at the contact catching him completely off guard. But despite the shock, he was unable to pull his hand away, completely mesmerized by the strange new sensations that her touch seemed to be stirring within him.

Unnerved by his silence, Lindsey became fearful that maybe he didn't appreciate her being so bold with him, so she released his hand, intending to pull away from him. But at the loss of the contact, Kane quickly reached out and enclosed her hand in his. His grip tightened painfully for a brief moment, until he realized he was hurting her again, then he loosened his hold slightly as he raised her hand and brought it back to his face. Lindsey offered no resistance as he placed her palm against his leather-covered cheek and following his cue, she began her hesitant exploration once more. She trailed her fingers cautiously over his forehead, down the bridge of his nose and across his cheeks before moving them down and under his chin, lightly brushing against the worn strap that kept his mask secured to his face. At the feel of her fingers on his bare skin, Kane gave a sudden gasp, causing Lindsey to pull back in fright, fearful that she'd done something wrong.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"she stated, letting her voice trail off when Kane grasped her hand and carefully placed it against his neck again.

With her good hand pressed against his skin and her injured hand still clutched against her chest, Lindsey struggled to change positions, moving to sit on her knees so she could reach him better. Then watching his face carefully for any sign of disapproval, she began to run the back of her hand down his neck and throat, enjoying the feel of the smoothness against her skin, feeling strangely aroused by the power she seemed to have over him at the moment.

Kane closed his eyes and tilted his head backwards, giving her greater access to him. This type of contact was so new to him, but yet he found it to be so…comforting. No one had ever touched him in this way before. Nobody had ever been this….gentle. Fighting the emotions that were suddenly coursing through his body, Kane willed himself to be still and simple enjoy her touch, knowing that these incredible sensations would be over with way too soon. Knowing that at any moment, she would finally come to her senses and stop.

As she continued her soft caresses, Lindsey's eyes focused on Kane's bare throat and she suddenly found herself wondering what it would be like to taste him. Closing her eyes, she tried to shake the thoughts from her mind, knowing that it would not be in her best interests to try something so foolish. But the soft sounds of pleasure that were escaping from his lips did nothing to dispel her thoughts and the temptation finally became too much. Noticing that his eyes were still closed, she leaned forward slowly, enclosing her lips around his throat and sucking gently as she stroked the skin with her tongue. Kane emitted a strangled cry of surprise at this new sensation and grasped the back of her head, holding her tightly to him as she sucked and nibbled on his warm flesh.

Aroused even more by his actions, Lindsey licked and kissed her way up his throat and along his jaw line, pausing briefly when she reached his lips. Then, figuring she had nothing else to lose, she leaned in and flicked her tongue against his mouth before gently pressing her lips against his. She was surprised to feel Kane part his lips beneath hers, accepting her in as her tongue darted past his teeth and into the warm recesses of his mouth. Kissing him deeply, she was immediately caught up in the passion of the moment, the incredible feelings that were welling up inside of her making all rational thought flee from her mind.

Overwhelmed by the sensations her touch elicited within him, Kane quickly took control of the situation and before Lindsey knew what was happening, she found herself flat on her back, her hands clutching tightly to his shoulders as he laid down over her and continued to plunder her mouth.

Forced to finally part so they could breathe, Kane pulled back and looked down into her face, bracing himself for the fear and revulsion that he knew he would see. Gazing down at her, he was surprised when she raised her hand to his face and caressed him for a brief moment before pulling him down into another heated kiss.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Lindsey questioned the sanity of her actions. Surrendering herself to this man, letting her guard down, forgetting the danger that she had placed herself in. It seemed so ridiculously absurd. But her needs and desires quickly overruled her common sense and she pushed the thoughts away, wanting only to concentrate on what was happening at the present moment. And at the moment, Kane was slowly driving her out of his mind with his powerful kisses. And based on the hardness that was pressed incessantly into her upper thigh, it seemed as though he needed this just as much as she did.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Breaking the kiss, Kane moved to her neck and throat, placing hesitant kisses along her soft skin, waiting for her to stop him. When the only response he got was her fingers tangling through his hair, trying to pull him closer to her, his touch became bolder and more passionate. He thoroughly covered every inch of her bare skin, nipping and teasing over and over again, pausing only once to regain his composure, when Lindsey licked at his ear, murmuring words of encouragement as she urged him on.

With his large body covering hers and her body temperature steadily increasing, the room suddenly seemed unbearably hot. Lindsey pressed her good hand gently against his chest, whispering for him to move back as she sat up on the bed. Kane reluctantly did as she asked, fearful that he had done something to upset her, until he saw her remove her jacket. He watched her fold the garment and lay it to the side, before her small hands returned to the front of her shirt. He swallowed hard, his eyes fixed on her fingers, as she unfastened each button, then slid the fabric from her skin, revealing more of her glorious body to him. Leaving her bra in place for the moment, Lindsey reached out for Kane, watching his face closely again as she tugged the hem of his shirt out of his jeans. For a brief moment, Kane remained frozen in place, unsure if he wanted her to continue. Positive that he didn't want her to stop. But her gentle urging quickly soothed away his anxiety and he grasped the hem of the shirt in his hands and pulled it up and over his head before tossing it to the floor.

The site of him bare-chested before her left Lindsey positively breathless and she couldn't resist the urge to reach out and touch him again. Her fingertips grazed across his shoulder and down his chest, enjoying the play of the muscles against her skin as he shuddered.

"You're beautiful Kane." she murmured softly, as she realized what an incredible body he had.

Leaning forward she placed a kiss in the center of his chest, slowly working her way across to one of his nipples. She flicked the tip of her tongue across it lightly before sucking the small nub into her mouth and Kane hissed in response as his fingers entwined in her hair, holding her against him. She teased him briefly before moving to the other nipple and repeating the process, reveling in the feel of his body responding to her. Even though Kane was more than twice her size, at the moment Lindsey felt like she had total control over the big man.

Smiling against his skin, she kissed a path up the middle of his chest, working her way up his body until she reached his lips again. Then kissing him deeply, she brought her good hand to his chest, running it down his body and across his stomach, before moving lower to caress his hardened member through his jeans. Kane moaned loudly into her mouth at the contact and Lindsey continued to stroke him, until the pleasure became too much for him to handle. Then in one quick motion, she suddenly found herself on her back once more, gazing up into his darkened eyes as he lowered his head to claim her lips in another passionate kiss.

Feeling more confident with every passing moment, Kane kissed a trail of fire down her body, moving toward her breasts, trying his best to remove the contraption that still had them hidden from his sight. Arching her back, Lindsey slipped her hand beneath her and helped him unfasten the clasps that held it together, smiling at the look that crossed his face when he pulled the fabric from her body, baring the soft globes to his view. He stared down at her for several long moments, unsure if or how he should continue, until he felt Lindsey's hands on his face again, urging him to lower his head and taste her.

Licking his lips, he captured one of the rosy peaks in his mouth, stroking it with his tongue and sucking gently, causing it to harden into a stiff little peak. Enjoying the whimpers and moans that were coming from beneath him, he turned his attention to the other breast, lavishing it with the same care. Lindsey squirmed helplessly beneath him, unable to catch her breath as he continued his assault on her body.

Pulling himself away from her breasts, Kane began to cautiously make his way down her body, still expecting her to stop him at any moment. He rubbed his hand lightly across her stomach, his heart sinking when he felt her hand enclose over his again, stopping him. Then he felt her guide his hand between her legs, and he moaned at the heat that was gathered there, his cock throbbing with approval. He began to rub her through the thin material of her pants and Lindsey couldn't stop herself from thrusting her hips against him, the feel of him touching her so intimately arousing her beyond belief.

She let him continue the torture until she couldn't take anymore, whimpering as she reached down and pulled his hand away. Disappointed, Kane frowned down at her, wondering why she had made him stop.

Sitting up, Lindsey reached out for him again, pulling him into another brief kiss. Breaking the contact, she smiled up at him seductively as her hands moved to the waistband of his jeans.

"My turn." she whispered against his lips as she unsnapped the button and carefully let down the zipper, slipping her hand inside to stroke him through his underwear.

She smiled when she felt him thrust against her and she removed her hand, tugging his jeans down his hips in an attempt to get them off of him. Seeing what she wanted, Kane pulled himself from the bed, removing his jeans, shoes and socks, so that he was standing before her in only his underwear. He moved to rejoin her on the bed but Lindsey quickly reached out an arm to stop him.

"Those go to big guy." she whispered, pointing to the thin fabric that was barely restraining his pulsating erection.

Flashing her another look of uncertainty, Kane took a deep breath and hooked his fingers into the waistband of the fabric, pulling them down and off of his body. Standing upright once more, Lindsey's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she took in the size of him. She wondered briefly if she would be able to handle him all.

_A little to late to be worried about it now_, she thought, seeing how aroused he was.

Grabbing his hand, she pulled him back down on the bed with her, urging him into a sitting position against the headboard. Kane watched her as she urged his thighs apart, slipping in between them as she moved closer to his body. Then leaning in toward him, she gave him a brief kiss before moving down his neck to his chest. She lovingly kissed and teased his nipples, in the same way he had lavished hers only moments before, moving from one to the other as she slipped her hand between them and wrapped it around his swollen cock. Kane cried out and thrust his hips upward at the contact, surprised by the intense sensations that were working their way through his body. Lindsey continued to stroke him gently with her hand before leaning over and running her tongue across the sensitive head, licking the slickness that was coating his shaft.

Opening her mouth, she lowered herself even further onto him, taking him deeper inside as she used her tongue and teeth to stimulate him. Unprepared for the sudden rush of pleasure, Kane cried out in surprise, his hands enclosing around her head, trying to push her further down onto him. Lindsey stilled herself for a moment, giving him time to get used to the sensations before she began to gently bob up and down on him. She moved slowly, savoring every taste of him, enjoying the way he writhed in pleasure beneath her.

Sensing that he couldn't hold out much longer and aroused beyond belief herself, Lindsey reluctantly pulled herself away from his body, slipping from the bed so she could remove the remainder of her clothes. Then she climbed back onto the bed, crawling up the mattress until she reached Kane again.

Urging his thighs back together, she straddled his legs, slowly lifting herself up then down, as she impaled herself on his cock. She threw her head back and cried out when she felt the head slip inside of her, Kane moving to grip her hips tightly as she slowly sheathed him. Once he was completely embedded inside of her, Lindsey stilled herself, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into another heated kiss. Kane followed her lead, wrapping his huge arms around her body, pulling her tight against him as she began to carefully move on his shaft.

Lindsey rode him slowly, enjoying the feel of his pulsating member buried deep inside of her, enjoying the feel of his massive body against hers. But the need for release soon became too great and she began to move faster, stroking them both into glorious oblivion. Feeling the tension begin to build quickly within her, she leaned forward burying her face into the crook of his neck, her hands clutching frantically at his shoulders as she tried to brace herself for the wave of pleasure that was about to overtake her.

Hearing her whimpers and cries get louder and more urgent, Kane began to thrust his hips upward, meeting her downward strokes as he drove her to the edge, closing his eyes and throwing his head back when he felt her inner muscles begin to clutch at him. He felt her whole body stiffen in his arms, her back arching as the wave finally overtook her and the feel of her body tightening around his and the sound of her screaming his name were his undoing. He quickly followed her over the edge, clutching her to him as the indescribable pleasure took over his body.

As the last of the waves began to fade, Kane looked down at Lindsey who was resting contentedly against his chest. Feeling his hand move on her back, she opened her eyes and glanced up at him, surprised to see a faint smile etch itself onto his lips. Reaching up, she brushed her fingers lightly against his mouth, before she closed her eyes and snuggled back into his chest. Kane held her tight, soothing her tired body as she quickly drifted off to sleep.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Lindsey stirred in the bed and opened her eyes, quickly focusing on Kane, who was now sleeping peacefully beside of her. It had taken two more passionate bouts of lovemaking but she had finally gotten the big man to go to sleep. She smiled when she recalled how wonderful he had been. How good he had made her feel. She had no idea that such pinnacles of pleasure could exist.

Glancing at her watch, her smile quickly faded when she saw the time. There was only a couple of hours left before dawn and she still had things she needed to get done before she left on her trip. Looking back over at Kane, she felt bad for having to leave his side again, but she really had no choice in the matter. After the whole "getting knocked unconscious by a chair" incident, her wonderful teammates had blamed her for their failure to win the tag team titles. They had complained to Bischoff, who in turn had decided to take it out on her by sending her away to a developmental camp for a few weeks. And up until tonight, she had been more than ready to leave. Up until tonight, she hadn't had a reason to stay.

Glancing over at Kane's sleeping form once more, Lindsey gave a deep sigh and threw the covers back, rolling to her side as she prepared to drag herself from the warm bed. She jumped when she felt a hand on her arm and she rolled back in place, gazing up at Kane who was now awake and propped up on one elbow, watching her.

"Sorry big guy. Didn't mean to wake you." she murmured, reaching up to brush the hair from his face.

"Where were you going?" he asked, still holding onto her arm.

"I was getting ready to go home. I still have some packing to do before I leave later today."

"You're…leaving?" Kane replied, staring down at her with a hurt expression.

"I'm sorry Kane, but I have to go. Bischoff's orders. If I don't go, I'll lose my job." she replied, feeling guilty at the look of disappointment on his face.

She made another attempt to roll out of the bed, crying out in pain when she felt Kane's grip tighten on her arm.

"Ow! Kane you're hurting me!" she whimpered, as she tried to free herself from his grasp.

"You promised me that you wouldn't leave!" he growled, tightening his grip even more as he roughly pulled her back against him.

"I'm sorry Kane. I thought you knew. I'll only be gone for a few weeks. I promise I'll be back to see you." Lindsey replied, as she struggled to free herself from his iron grip.

"You lied to me!" he shouted, still refusing to let her go.

Surprised by the tone of his voice, Lindsey turned to meet his gaze again, shocked at the sudden change that had come over him. He was no longer the gentle giant who had just made love to her over the past few hours. Instead, he had been transformed back into the dangerous monster that she had encountered when she had first arrived there. Noticing the fire in his eyes and the anger radiating from his large frame, Lindsey knew that she had just made a huge mistake.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Holy shit! Hey Frank! Come here and have a look at this!"

"What did you find this time?" the second man asked in annoyance, knowing that his friend always seemed to stumble into trouble wherever he went. "Just hurry up and piss man so we can go home. You know I don't like being out here alone at this time of night."

"Come on man, I'm serious! You've really gotta see this!" the first man replied, as he urged his friend to join him.

Sighing in frustration, the second man cautiously approached the darkened alleyway, stopping when he saw his friend standing in front of a pile of empty boxes.

"What's so damned important that I've just gotta come see…" the second man replied, his voice trailing off when his friend stepped to the side, revealing what had captured his attention.

"Where the hell did she come from?" Frank asked as he moved closer, staring down at the nude, lifeless body of the small female that had been carelessly tossed onto the pile of boxes.

Kneeling down to get a closer look, the first man noticed the dark bruises that were already forming around her throat.

"Looks like somebody's snapped her neck right in two." he stated, as he gazed over the other bruises that covered her body.

As the initial shock of their discovery began to wear off, Frank finally regained his senses and punched his friend on the shoulder.

"Come on man! Let's get out of here! If the cops find us here, they might try to pin it on us! Besides, she's not going anywhere. Somebody else will come along and find her later. Let's go."

Without bothering to wait on his friend, the second man rushed back out onto the street, looking around him carefully to ensure that he hadn't been seen. Casting once last glance at the crumpled woman at his feet, the first man turned and quickly followed in his friend's footsteps.

Fortunately for the two men, they hadn't noticed the huge man hiding in the shadows in the back of the alley.

Once he was sure that they were gone, Kane emerged from his hiding place, stopping to gaze down at the lifeless form beside of him. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small purple envelope and unfolded it, tracing the letters that were written across the front. Then shoving the paper back into his pocket and casting one last glance at the broken body at his feet, he turned and walked away.

And disappeared into the darkness.

**~The End~**


End file.
